Series 1: Bleazard and Stocker family papers and photographs, ca. 1882-2001

MLMSS 7881/Box 1X

series

ca. 1882-2001

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Ephemera

9621343

0.16 metres of textual material and approximately 69 photographs (1 outsize box) - manuscript, typescript, and printed ; tintype, gelatin silver and colour photographs

The HSC artwork which incorporated these documents was left at the school after assessment. It was subsequently damaged and offered back to the family, but remained unclaimed. A teacher from the school presented the papers and photographs to the Mitchell Library in 2009.

Typescript, signed letter from Ross Smith to Miss M. O. V. Blazard [i.e. Bleazard], Queen St, Lorn, West Maitland, dated 16 February 1920, thanking her for writing [on letterhead of “The Australia”, Sydney]

Typescript, signed letter from Alan J. Cobham to Miss Valasi Bleazard, Queen St, Lorn, West Maitland, dated 17 August 1926, thanking her for writing

Names of places in & round Sydney [manuscript]

OHMS envelope postmarked War Office, Director of Graves Registration and Enquiries, 19 September 1917, addressed to Mrs E. Bleazard, Queen St, Lorn, West Maitland

The Mind of Jesus by J. R. Macduff (London, 1884), inscribed on flyleaf “To / Miss H. Stocker / A token of Remembrance / on her departure for / Samoa / D. G. Brackley / April 7th / 92”

The Birthday Scripture Text Book (London, 188-?), inscribed on flyleaf “Harriette Stocker / with Mother’s love / Christmas 1882”, with verse entitled “A birthday wish” inscribed overleaf. Daily texts alternate with blank pages autographed or inscribed with names of persons whose birthday or date of death corresponds to the date printed opposite; includes names of Stocker and Bleazard family members

The Methodist Hymn-Book (London, n.d.), inscribed on flyleaf “H. Stocker, Lorn, West Maitland, 25.11.24”

Printed booklet of illuminated scriptural quotations, entitled Emmanuel (Hodder & Stoughton, n.l., n.d.), inscribed inside front cover “To dear Hadd with Dans & Ems love 27/5/90”

The Dainty Diary, 1911, (London, [1910]), inscribed on half-title page “To Dear Hadd with all loving Christmas wishes & greetings from Lizzie 12.12.10”. Dated pages are inscribed with names of Stocker family and others

Gem tintype album, with calligraphic initials “E? P” and date “Feb 1882” in ink on title page, containing approx. 29 tintype portraits, some identified in pencil in the margin.

20 silver gelatin photoprints, 6 x 9 cm., taken at Elcho Island and Katherine, NT, 1948; most captioned in ink on verso. Includes Eliza Bleazard at Elcho Island, NT, 1948, shown with Mr Shephardson and his plane after a flight, September 1948; children in wooden canoe; women pounding cycad nuts; initiates in corroboree; groups of islanders, not individually identified; Fordson tractor, Cyprus pine logs & mill; “flying dentist, Mr Moody, with natives & tractor at “Skippys” private 'drome”, August 1948; old RAAF landing barge used to ferry goods ashore from the mission boats; home of Mr & Mrs Kent, CSIR officer, Katherine NT, October 1948

3 Christmas and birthday postcards to Miss Valasi Bleazard, Lorn, West Maitland, 1909, 1911 and undated; postcard to Rev C. Bleazard, Mission House, Lomaloma, Lau, Fiji, depicting mission teachers & students, Kadavu Circuit, postmarked Tavuki, inscribed with Christmas wishes from “WRP”, Richmond, Kadavu, 6/12/06; commercially printed photograph of koala park, inscribed on verso “with Auntie’s love 24.4.32”

8 colour photographs of 2001 HSC art installation by a Stocker family descendant, incorporating family memorabilia

Unidentified studio portrait of three adults.

Date stamp ’10 31 94’ on some of the colour prints showing the HSC artwork is apparently wrong, as the student completed her HSC in 2001 and the prints are stamped 03.11.01 and 19.04.02 on verso by film processing laboratory.